Fab Lab's pop-up stadium solution

What would you send a diehard football fan as a birthday greeting? Why, a card that opened up to reveal a pop-up paper model of their team’s stadium, of course. It seems like a good idea. And one Bolton-based manufacturer had come up with just such a design.

What would you send a diehard football fan as a birthday greeting? Why, a card that opened up to reveal a pop-up paper model of their team’s stadium, of course.

It seems like a good idea. And one Bolton-based manufacturer had come up with just such a design.

But you might be surprised at how many hurdles some of those same football clubs put in the way of allowing It’s Unique, the company concerned, to stock the cards in their own stadium shops.

According to managing director Mike Smith, four Premier League clubs he approached demanded five-figure annual “licence” fees for stocking the item, even though they all agreed it would sell well.

When he declined, he also later discovered that one had shown his idea to another manufacturer in the hope that they would be able to produce something similar.

Fortunately those good people at the Manchester Fab Lab proved to be much more forthcoming when Mr Smith approached them about finding a way to display the cards that wouldn’t damage them.

Up until then the only means of keeping the pop-up stadiums open to view was with a plastic stand that cost customers £2 – in addition to the £4.99 cost of the card.

These could also damage the card if they were posted in the same envelope.

Mr Smith had not managed to find anyone who could suggest a cheaper, less cumbersome alternative until the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce referred him to the Fab Lab, the Manufacturing Institute’s fabrication workshop that aims to help local business put their ideas into reality.

Within two hours it had come up with a laser-cut, pop-out stand that was much more environmentally friendly and only cost 2p to produce.